New policy regarding prepaid phones on post paid

dpham00

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Saw this on reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/verizon/comments/40tsbo/changes_to_4g_prepaid_phones/

Effective 1/17/2016, customers who purchase a Prepaid 4G device must activate on a $30, $45, or $60 Prepaid plan and make at least 1 monthly service payment before they are eligible to move the device to a new or active Postpay account .

Device remains locked until first month’s payment is made on their Prepaid plan.Device is unlocked automatically upon successful first month’s payment and can be used on Postpaid plan (new SIM or SIM swap).Attempting to use an active Postpay SIM Card with a new 4G LTE Prepaid PIB smartphone prior to making the required monthly payment, hotlines the Postpay MDN (SFO 83643) . The hotline remains until first month’s payment is made.Customers who activate on the $45 or $60 Prepaid plans and enroll in Auto Pay, receive bonus 1GB data per month.

If account is hotlined:

Data access, outgoing calls, and text messaging do not work.Text message is sent to smartphone.*VZW FREE MSG: Phone must be activated on Verizon Wireless Prepaid service and first monthly payment must be made before it can be used with any other service. *Auto-remark is placed on the customer's account.*SIM Swap attempted: MDN Hotlined. Phone must be activated on VZW Prepaid service and first month paid before it can be activated as postpaid. *

Edit 2/22/16:

Also, not really a way around it, but if you get a prepaid plan ($30 is currently the lowest) then you can activate as many prepaid devices as you want, and make a call while on the prepaid plan, that should clear that the imei.

Btw, if you have 3g prepaid devices then you can activate them on the prepaid line at the same time. 3g devices require 6 month wait though, so long as you activate it on prepaid once, then the clock starts ticking. You don't have to keep prepaid service for 6 months, just have to wait 6 months after activation .


Also got can check the trade in website with the imei of the device:

https://forums.androidcentral.com/...ww.verizon.com/device-recycle/&token=6vlPa0RF


If you get an error message then don't put it on a post paid line as it will hotline the line.
 
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Ry

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Interesting.

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ViolinKnits

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I activated mine and paid for a month. I still don't have full service when I put in my SIM. I can get texts, but can't send them. I couldn't make a call the last time I tried. I'm trying to stay off the radar because I have unlimited data, and I don't want some crazy representative messing with my plan.

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Ry

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Can you do SIM swaps on prepaid?

I wonder if swapping an active prepaid SIM to a different prepaid device would be enough to make that device eligible for postpaid.
 

ViolinKnits

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A few people claim it has worked for them, but I haven't had any luck. When the month is over, I'm going to call VZW if necessary to activate it.

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badkitties

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what's the reason for buying prepaid Verizon 4G phones in the first place? Are they cheaper than identical phones on postpaid plans?

thanks!
 

dpham00

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what's the reason for buying prepaid Verizon 4G phones in the first place? Are they cheaper than identical phones on postpaid plans?

thanks!
Just depends on the sale. Many of us have the $10 prepaid moto e 2nd gen. Or some of the $20 moto g.

Arguably the $8 droid mini is a better device though
 

badkitties

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Just depends on the sale. Many of us have the $10 prepaid moto e 2nd gen. Or some of the $20 moto g.

Arguably the $8 droid mini is a better device though

Was there ever a 4G version of the Moto G for Verizon? I thought they were 3G-only.

I still have 6 Verizon perpaid Moto G from when they were free at Best Buy last year.
($25 each with $25 back in Best Buy Rewards, which I turned into $25 Sheel gas gift cards)
I bought all remaining stock from the three Best Buy stores near me. They only had
17 in stock combined, so I bought all 17. Traded the other 11 for $300 Verizon trade-in
credit or $47 Amazon gift cards.
 

dpham00

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Was there ever a 4G version of the Moto G for Verizon? I thought they were 3G-only.

I still have 6 Verizon perpaid Moto G from when they were free at Best Buy last year.
($25 each with $25 back in Best Buy Rewards, which I turned into $25 Sheel gas gift cards)
I bought all remaining stock from the three Best Buy stores near me. They only had
17 in stock combined, so I bought all 17. Traded the other 11 for $300 Verizon trade-in
credit or $47 Amazon gift cards.
Verizon only had the Moto g 1st gen which was 3g only.
 

Ry

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what's the reason for buying prepaid Verizon 4G phones in the first place? Are they cheaper than identical phones on postpaid plans?

thanks!

Quick, cheaper replacement phone.

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radyoactive

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What if I already have a Moto E that had been active on my post paid SIM but is currently only using wifi, can I still move the SIM from my S6 Edge+?
 

dpham00

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What if I already have a Moto E that had been active on my post paid SIM but is currently only using wifi, can I still move the SIM from my S6 Edge+?
If the prepaid phone was active on the line before the date then you will be fine.
 

dpham00

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Also, not really a way around it, but if you get a prepaid plan ($30 is currently the lowest) then you can activate as many prepaid devices as you want, and make a call while on the prepaid plan, that should clear that the imei.

Btw, if you have 3g prepaid devices then you can activate them on the prepaid line at the same time. 3g devices require 6 month wait though, so long as you activate it on prepaid once, then the clock starts ticking. You don't have to keep prepaid service for 6 months, just have to wait 6 months after activation .


Also got can check the trade in website with the imei of the device:

https://forums.androidcentral.com/...ww.verizon.com/device-recycle/&token=YL8vGZ-d


If you get an error message then don't put it on a post paid line as it will hotline the line.
 

Ry

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Also, not really a way around it, but if you get a prepaid plan ($30 is currently the lowest) then you can activate as many prepaid devices as you want, and make a call while on the prepaid plan, that should clear that the imei.

Btw, if you have 3g prepaid devices then you can activate them on the prepaid line at the same time. 3g devices require 6 month wait though, so long as you activate it on prepaid once, then the clock starts ticking. You don't have to keep prepaid service for 6 months, just have to wait 6 months after activation .


Also got can check the trade in website with the imei of the device:

https://forums.androidcentral.com/...ww.verizon.com/device-recycle/&token=3MckEP1P


If you get an error message then don't put it on a post paid line as it will hotline the line.

Looks like my theory is panning out.

Can you do SIM swaps on prepaid?

I wonder if swapping an active prepaid SIM to a different prepaid device would be enough to make that device eligible for postpaid.

Posted via the Android Central App on the Moto X Pure Edition
 

ViolinKnits

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Apparently, if you attempt to swap a postpaid SIM before activating and end up with a hotline on the phone, it sticks without CSR intervention. The first one I got supposedly consulted tech support, and told me I couldn't use a prepaid phone on a postpaid account. I thanked him and called back. I suggested the phone probably had a hotline. It took a few seconds, but the CSR found it. She consulted tech support and had the hotline lifted. We made practice incoming and outgoing calls and texts.

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